Mark Haisma Saint Romain Le Jarron 2024 HALF Bottle (37.5cl)

Description

Mark Haisma’s ‘hands off’ gentle approach to winemaking has once again created delightfully refreshing, fine white Burgundies in the 2024 vintage. This Saint Romain ‘Le Jarron’ is from the limestone soils of the tiny Le Jarron vineyard within the Saint Romain appellation, in the Cote de Beaune region of Burgundy. In 2024 it impressed us so much we asked Mark to bottle some in halves especially! It’s a smart wine but compared to Burgundies from nearby Meursault, for example, it’s a very good buy, and a great way to explore what else the Cote de Beaune region of Burgundy has to offer.

TASTING: This is the latest release from Burgundy and the wine has a suitably attractive, youthful yellow colour. On the nose: you’d be forgiven for thinking this is Premier Cru Chablis, such is the purity of the citrus and apple fruit aromas. There is also a tantalising saline note, some mineral aromas and honeysuckle. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with citrus flavour and precise acidity to start, followed by some richness and spice from barrel ageing, as you’d expect from good white Burgundy. Fine, mouthwatering finish and moderate alcohol of 12.5%.

PAIRING AND SERVING IDEAS: It’s a lovely, fresh, citrus-scented wine that is perfect for a good dinner. Try with fresh white fish, or asparagus/broccoli tart with ricotta or goat’s cheese. It’s lovely and fresh now, but would store till 2030 should you wish.

ABOUT: Marc Haisma is an oddity in Burgundy, as he is actually from Australia and therefore, despite having made wine in Burgundy for many years, is a relative outsider. He was winemaker at Yarra Yering for ten years, and therefore gained plenty of experience making great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir before crossing the globe to continue in the hallowed grounds of the Cote d’Or! In addition, he is what the French call a ‘micro-negoce’  or micro-negociant in that he purchases grapes from other growers, and makes the wine himself in a small cellar just outside Beaune. While it’s often seen as a disadvantage not to own many vineyards oneself, the negociant approach allows him to choose the vineyards he wishes (buying the vineyards outright in Burgundy is now prohibitive to all but the very wealthiest), and concentrate on quality alone, without having to spent precious time and resource on the myriad of viticultural tasks. With this wine, Mark is the winemaker and the negociant, and the person who grew the grapes was Nicolas Ruelle, whose name you’ll see on the label. The Saint-Romain appellation is in the Cote de Beaune and covers roughly 100 hectares, of which two thirds are planted with Chardonnay. Traditionally, the slightly higher altitude here has meant the grapes have achieved less ripeness than lower but warmer vineyards. However, the climate has changed dramatically and the beautiful freshness in the wines of Saint Romain is increasingly prized, while the price remains remarkably modest compared to the famous appellation of Meursault, just six kilometres away.